Our family decided to spend a long weekend hiking in the mountains. As you may already know, we chose Poland because it is relatively close to our home country, Latvia. I have already covered what to pack, how to plan your route, and how to choose accommodation in my article A Trip to the Tatra Mountains.

We decided to travel by car, with our first stop in **Kraków**, where we planned to take a walk through the historic Old Town.

A Brief History of Kraków

Kraków is located in southern Poland, on the banks of the Vistula River. The city was first mentioned in written records in 965 AD. The Arab merchant Ibrahim ibn Yaqub mentioned Slavs and Rus' merchants traveling from Kraków to Prague in his accounts.

In 1257, one of Europe's largest medieval market squares was established in Kraków, measuring an impressive 200 × 200 meters. Later, massive stone defensive walls were built around the city, along with 47 towers, only four of which have survived to this day.

Kraków was one of the few major Polish cities to escape widespread destruction during World War II. The city was liberated by the Soviet Army in January 1945, and much of its historic architecture survived the war.

Things to See and Do in Kraków

Kraków's historic center has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List for more than 40 years. Walking through the city today feels almost like traveling back to the Middle Ages, as many of its historic buildings have been remarkably well preserved.

After parking our car, we headed straight to the castle. We left our car at the parking lot shown below. Compared to Latvia, parking in Poland was quite affordable during our visit, costing around 3 PLN per hour, depending on the location.

A walk through the historic center of Kraków

After walking through the city park, we arrived at Wawel Royal Castle (Zamek Wawelski). The castle is considered the symbol and soul of Kraków.

We arrived in Kraków on a Monday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to discover that admission to certain castle exhibitions was free on Mondays during our visit. All we had to do was go to the ticket office, tell them how many people were in our group, and collect our free tickets. These allowed us to explore parts of the castle and visit a tower.

The castle grounds are also home to the incredibly beautiful Wawel Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus. Inside the cathedral are royal tombs, while above the entrance hang enormous prehistoric animal bones, traditionally believed to bring good fortune to the city.

Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków Historic architecture of Wawel Castle Exploring Wawel Castle in Kraków

After exploring the castle, we decided to continue walking around the city. Our route led us to the Basilica of the Holy Trinity.

Built in the 13th century, it became one of the first Dominican monasteries in Poland and is among the country's oldest historic churches.

The moment you step inside, you are amazed by how beautifully everything has been preserved. The church's interior is richly decorated, with magnificent architectural details.

On a hot summer day - it was 32°C when we visited - you can immediately feel the refreshing coolness inside. And when the organ begins to play, the music sends shivers down your spine.

The basilica contains several altars. Near one of them, we noticed small pieces of paper intended for people who wish to become parents. Visitors can write down their names, place the paper in a special opening, and the monks will pray for them.

Interior of the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Kraków Historic interior and decorations of the Holy Trinity Basilica Altars inside the Basilica of the Holy Trinity Beautiful architecture inside the Basilica of the Holy Trinity

Since our final destination was Zakopane, and the weather was extremely hot, we decided to make one last stop at Kraków's Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) to see the famous Cloth Hall.

The square is surrounded by remarkable historic landmarks, including the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), the monument to Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, the charming Church of St. Adalbert, the Town Hall Tower, and the magnificent St. Mary's Basilica, which impresses visitors with its grand architecture.

At the Cloth Hall, you can browse a wide selection of souvenirs, while the surrounding square offers plenty of restaurants and cafés where you can relax and enjoy a meal.

But it was time for us to continue our journey. We headed towards Zakopane, where we planned to check into our accommodation and begin our mountain hiking adventures in the beautiful Tatra Mountains.